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South Korea’s Navy develops new ship-to-ground missile

Navy develops new ship-to-ground missile

South Korea’s Navy on Tuesday released photos of successful test-firings of a new tactical ship-to-ground guided missile from a battleship on an unidentified date. [YONHAP]

Apr 19,2017

South Korea’s Navy has completed the development of new tactical ship-to-ground guided missiles that would enhance its ability to strike North Korea’s key military facilities, the country’s arms procurement agency said Tuesday.

South Korea will start mass-producing the missiles with two types of launch systems – inclined and vertical – next year after a seven-year project led by the Agency for Defense Development, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).

The missiles have met all the required operational capabilities in a recent test for use by next-generation frigates, it added.

The shrapnel of the missiles’ warhead can penetrate armored vehicles and destroy an area with the size of two football fields at a shot, the agency said.

The nation’s warships have largely depended on anti-ship or anti-aircraft guided missiles. But the successful development of the new missile will upgrade its capability to attack ground targets.

Especially, ship-to-ground missiles with a vertical launch platform that can be used by various naval ships will be operational beginning in 2019.

“[South Korea] has become able to strike from sea not only the enemy’s major bases on the ground but also core facilities, including those related to ballistic missile launches,” said Lee Sang-moon, head of the DAPA’s guided weapon development team.

The new missile will serve as key maritime equipment for the military’s Kill Chain pre-emptive strike system against North Korea’s provocations, he added.

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Looks like the SSM-700K Haeseong (C-Star) Anti-ship Missile…….So I assume it is the land attack version……

SSM-700K Haeseong (C-Star)

SSM-700K Haeseong (C-Star) Anti-ship Missile (Hangul: 해성 미사일) is a ship launched anti-ship cruise missile developed by the Korea Agency for Defense Development (ADD), LIG Nex1 and the Republic of Korea Navy in 2003.[1] The missiles are deployed on KDX-II and KDX-III destroyers as of 2006, each carrying 8 and 16 of the missiles respectively.

Development History

During the 1970s the Republic of Korea Navy decided to import Exocet anti-ship missiles to deter North Korean naval provocations. Considering the fact that the DPRK Navy was then and now mostly composed of numerous small to midsize ships, a cheap, small guided anti-ship missile was proposed. In 1978 the Korean Agency for Defense Development (ADD) started the development of the Hae Ryong anti-ship missile, and by 1987 the ROK Navy approved for the mass production of the missiles. But the Hae Ryong was fitted with a semi-active laser guidance system, limiting its tactical capability during bad weather. Additional pressure from the USA ultimately resulted in the termination of the project.

In 1990, the problem of large proportions of the defense budget going into buying anti-ship missiles from foreign countries was brought up. The ROK Navy ordered the ADD to develop a missile that was in par with or better in performance than the Harpoon Block 1C missile. The new missile was codenamed Haeseong, and research of the following core missile technologies was started in 1996.

Microwave Seeking System

Inertial Navigation System

Radio Altimeter

Electronic Jamming system

Turbofan Engine

After 7 years of research, on August 21, 2003, the ADD successfully test fired the Haeseong and sunk the target dummy vessel. On December 20, 2005 the first production model was successfully fired from ROKS Dae Joyeong (DDH 977) KDX-II class destroyer.

Cruise missiles

In September 2011, South Korean defense officials confirmed the development of a supersonic cruise missile based on the Haeseong I anti-ship missile, called the Haeseong II. The Haeseong II is designed as a ship-to-surface cruise missile that travels faster than Mach 1 that can evade defense systems and accurately strike ground targets, particularly North Korean missile launch pads. The missile was developed without the assistance of the United States and will not be offered for export due to restrictions of the Missile Technology Control Regime. Ships will launch the missile with the installation of vertical and slant launch systems, and strike targets over 500 km (310 mi; 270 nmi) away.[2] There is a version of the Haeseong cruise missile designed to be launched underwater from submarines called the Haeseong III.[3] The Haeseong cruise missiles are believed to have become operational in 2013.[4] Source revolvy.com